Highway Of Heroes
by xoloveJBox
Summary: Simon's younger sister arrives in Kandahar, and she's looking for her heart. Because sometimes, home isn't where it is. Sometimes it's in a Warzone. Ok, this summary really sucks but I couldn't think of anything else, and I'm super bad at summaries anyway. But please R and R, it might not be so bad.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Hi there!**_

_**Well, first off; I'm not sure how many people will read this because there was only one series and it ended twelve months ago, so I'm not holding my breath haha. But I only just discovered Combat Hospital, and the idea for this story refused to get out of my head until I'd at least written some, so here it is ^-^**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Combat Hospital. I wish I did, but I don't so there it is. :)**_

_**Please, if you do read this, let me know what you think! I'd love to hear your opinions.**_

_**Love lots**_

_**xoloveJBox**_

* * *

The harsh Afghan sun beat ferociously on the Kandahar hospital. Even through the metal of the plane, Jay could feel the heat, and her t-shirt stuck to her body uncomfortably. Mostly out of restlessness, and partly out of a seemingly unquenchable longing, she pulled out a photograph from her bag to distract her mind of the very shaky landing they were in the middle of. It had been taken a lifetime ago, when things had been simpler, before she had been alone. She saw her own face beaming upwards; between the two people she loved the most. Looking at them, Jay grinned. The memory was four years old, but Jay could still remember even the tiniest of details about the day the snapshot was taken. The three of them had sat in a small pub in England, but only her older brother had been old enough to drink back then. She could still hear the football match that had been on the wide-screen television, and the clink of glasses. They'd had fun, but the day was bittersweet. The whole time the three of them had spent together was tainted with the knowledge that Simon was once again leaving for Kandahar the next morning, and the time of their next reunion was uncertain.

Jay had been fifteen at the time, and she hadn't known that her boyfriend Ollie, the third person in the picture, would only be twelve months behind Simon. Ollie was two years Jay's senior, so by the time he joined the British military and was shipped out to Afghanistan, he was eighteen years of age. Despite her begs and pleas, there had been nothing Jay could say or do to make Ollie change his mind.

But now, that didn't matter. Within minutes, Jay would be landing in Kandahar, ready to work at the same hospital as her brother. She had no real medical experience, but 'Doctor' wasn't the only job in a hospital and in a war zone like Kandahar, they could use all the hands they could get. Jay hadn't told Simon or Ollie of her plans, because she knew that they would not agree with her. She had kept her decision a secret, because once she arrived, they had no way to make her leave again.

As a voice announced just how close they were to landing, Jay took a deep, shaky breath and one last long glance at the picture before tucking it away and again and holding tightly to her seat. She closed her eyes and thought about anything that would keep her distracted until finally, after what seemed like hours, she felt the aircraft thud against the ground as they landed. There was no turning back now.

Simon lay on his bed in the spacious room he had been given, his socked toes wriggling to a song only he could hear as he thumbed through an extremely worn paper back that he had read a million times since arriving in Afghanistan. He didn't mind, though he sometimes wished he had a newer book to occupy his spare time. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the digital clock next to his bed, and when he looked, the screen blared that it was twelve-thirty in the afternoon. He quickly did the mental calculations, working out that it was nine in the morning in London, and he contemplated giving Jay a call. He decided against it at that time, knowing that she liked to sleep in on Saturday mornings. She always sounded pleased to hear from him, no matter when he called, but he still felt mean for waking her. No, he thought, I'll wait a little longer. He turned his attention back to the ragged pages of the book and read for a few more minutes before restlessness took over. He closed the book and put it away, sitting up and slipping his feet into the shoes that lay dutifully next to his bed. His plan was to grab some lunch, because by the time he had finished, Jay would probably be awake, and he would be able to talk to her properly, without feeling guilty for waking her up. Simon liked talking to his younger sister, more than she imagined, and Jay had a way of making Simon feel better, even when, like now, he wasn't entirely sure what was wrong. Despite being thirteen years younger, Jay was the only person Simon felt like he could tell anything to, and she would completely understand. He sometimes called her, if he had time, when there was a particularly difficult procedure he had to perform, and his usually unwavering self-certainty was shaky. She reassured him, made him feel better, and he had never once had anything go wrong after one of those highly motivating phone calls. She was his good luck charm; even better than four-leaf clovers, stray eyelashes, pennies, wishing wells and horseshoes.

If Jay had thought it was hot inside the plane, outside was unbearable. The sun glared off then lenses of her glasses, making it almost impossible for her to see, and the dust in the air only added to the difficulty. After getting off the plane, she had slung her bags over her shoulders, still needing both hands for the remaining ones. She wore loose fitting trousers and a black vest top with heavy boots. She didn't wear a uniform, like many of the others who had shared the plane ride with her, because she wasn't there as part of the military. She was considered a 'civilian'. She had been told so many times how dangerous the job she was going to do was, and despite what a lot of people had said when she told them of her plans, she had considered it very carefully. However, she hadn't told them one of the main reasons she was there, and she wasn't completely sure that she was going to tell anyone. It shouldn't matter _why _she was there; only that she was.

Growing irritated when she couldn't find the building she had been instructed to report to upon her arrival, Jay quickly removed her glasses and wiped them on the edge of her shirt. She mentally cursed herself for not bringing contact lenses, but she knew it was too late to do anything about it now, so she carried on walking. After another few minutes of being lost, Jay resigned to finding someone to ask for directions. When a group of uniformed officers ran past her she tried, and failed, to get their attention. It was then that she spotted a young looking woman with dark hair and even darker eyes. She was walking, almost casually, towards her and Jay took the opportunity, or she suspected she would be wondering aimlessly for awhile longer.

"Excuse me?" Jay said, a little louder than necessary to get the woman's attention.

"Hi?" The woman replied as she approached, and Jay saw that she was wearing a Canadian flag on the side of her khaki uniform.

"I'm lost," Jay explained with a sheepish smile "Do you think you could tell me where to find Colonel Marks?"

The woman gave Jay a warm smile and nodded "Come on, I'll walk with you. I'm Rebecca Gordon by the way."

"Jay Hill." Jay replied, holding out her hand for Rebecca. "Are you a doctor here?"

"Yes." Rebecca replied, taking Jay's outstretched hand. She looked at Jay with slightly furrowed eyebrows "Are you? You seem a little young."

"No," Jay answered with an amused grin "I'm just a helping hand."  
"Well, you're more than welcome." Rebecca answered as they made their way across the base. The two women chatted casually as they went along, but their conversation was disturbed by a deep male voice from behind.

"Jay?"

Jay stopped and smiled. She would know that voice anywhere. She dropped her bags to the floor and spun around. Her grin spread out widely across her cheeks when she saw her brother.

* * *

**_A/N 2: If you're reading this, it means you read the first chapter, so thank you millions!_**


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Hey there!  
Well, I thought that since it was already written, I would post the next chapter. Hopefully this one is a little more interesting than the first because more happens in this :) **_

_**Disclaimer: I really wish I owned Combat hospital, because if I did, it wouldn't have ended; but since it did I guess I don't own it :(**_

_**Well, I don't think there is much else to say :s Please R+R because I have a million other fanfics that are being seriously neglected, so if no one is interested in this one, I may not continue. However, if people let me know what they like/dislike/things for me to work on etc etc etc, then I'll be perfectly happy to carry on. I loved Combat Hospital, and the plot I have for this story is mega different from what I normally write, so I'd like to give it a go :D **_

_**Ok, waffle over: please leave me a review! They are welcomed and in fact, they are encouraged haha!**_

_**xoloveJBox**_

* * *

Simon rushed forwards, certain now that his glimpse of Jay was not simply wishful thinking on his part. He caught Jay as she ran into his arms. He held her tightly as they spun around, and he unintentionally let out a loud laugh as Jay kissed his cheek over and over again. She was still the same, but different at the same time. Her dark hair was pulled into a high ponytail with her thick side fringe falling over her face. She was taller than the last time he had seen her, but otherwise; she was still the same little girl he had left. Her intense green eyes still shone with seemingly unending laughter, and the same few freckles still dotted over her nose and cheeks lightly, barely visible. To anyone else, they may not have been noticeable, but Simon knew everything about the girl in front of him, better than anyone else in the world.

"What are you doing here?" Simon exclaimed as Jay's feet were planted back on the ground.

"I work here now." She explained, squinting in the sunlight.

"What?" Simon questioned, the smile sliding from his face like slowly melting ice cream.

"Exactly what I said brother; I have a job here now."  
"Brother?" Rebecca called, overhearing their conversation with surprise. "Of course! You said your name was Hill. Simon, you never told me you have a sister."

Simon gave Rebecca a slight irritated glance before turning back to Jay.

"We'll talk about this later, alright. Where are you going now?"  
"I was taking her to Colonel Marks." Rebecca told him, not unaware of Simon's cold expression all of a sudden.

"Thank you Rebecca, I will take it from here." He said simply, taking Jay's elbow and bending down to retrieve some of her bags. Rebecca stood, taken aback by what had just played out in front of her, as Simon and Jay walked away briskly.

"What do you think you're playing at?" Simon hissed when he was sure they were out of earshot.

"Simon, this is a warzone; they ask for volunteers and so I signed up." She told him, keeping a calm tone to her voice. She had known how Simon would react, but he was being more level headed than she had expected. For now.

"It's dangerous Jay; don't you know what you've gotten yourself into?" he vented, feeling the blood rushing to his face. He wasn't angry, like he thought he should be, but he was desperately trying to work out what was going on in his little sister's head.

"I know its dangerous Simon; believe it or not I do listen when you speak to me." Jay replied curtly.

"Then what the _hell _do you think you're doing?" Simon demanded again, but before Jay could respond, a tall, shaven headed man with a red medical shirt approached them.

"Who's your friend Simon?" The man asked, and Simon fought to keep a civil expression on his face when he answered.

"Colonel Marks, this is-"

"I'm Jay Hill, Sir." Jay introduced herself, cutting off her brother. She knew he would be angry for a while, but she thought that she might as well get it all over with in one go.

"Ah yes," Colonel Marks responded, disregarding Simon. "Follow me Miss."

As Colonel Marks began to walk away, Jay immediately followed, with Simon a pace or two behind.

Colonel Marks quickly showed Jay around the base, not taking any notice of the fact that Simon was following. Jay wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but the hospital was definitely a lot more sophisticated than she had imagined. She was introduced to so many different people that it almost made her head spin, and Jay knew that she was going to have a tough time remembering all of the names, but she made a huge effort to commit them all straight to memory. She had no idea how long she was going to be there, and she didn't want to waste time not talking to people because she wasn't exactly sure who they were.

"...And finally, this is Sergeant-Major Graham Kelly." Colonel Marks concluded "He's going to sort you out with somewhere to sleep."  
"Actually Sir," Kelly interceded before Colonel Marks could say anything else "I had been hoping to talk to you about that _before _Miss Hill got here. It seems that there is nowhere for her to sleep."

"It's ok; I can bunk on the floor somewhere." Jay offered with a smile, not wanting anyone to think she was a nuisance within her first hour.

"Actually Miss, we have a bed; just no place to put it." Kelly replied, looking to the Colonel for an answer as to what he should do about the problem, as small as it was.

"You can put it in my room if you like." Simon offered with a sigh. He knew that it was too late now to simply send Jay home, so he may as well keep her somewhere he could keep an eye on her.

"I don't think that's a good idea Simon." Colonel Marks answered with a wary expression. He trusted Simon with the patient's lives, but not so much with the women who came onto base.

"It's alright Colonel," Simon informed him simply "Jay's my sister."

"Oh," both men responded, each of their eyes going from Jay to Simon, and back again.

"Huh, yeah," Colonel Marks finally said "I can see it now. Alright, put the bed in your room. It'll only be until somewhere else is found. Luckily for you Miss Hill, it seems to be fairly quiet right now, though that could change at any moment, so you may have some time to settle in before getting to Simon can give you a more detailed tour. Welcome to Kandahar." He finished before giving Simon and Kelly a quick nod and walking off to continue working.

"Right," Kelly carried on "Let's get that bed moved."

Within twenty minutes, the two men had managed, just about, to get the single bed into Simon's room. Kelly left the siblings to arrange the furniture. Simon was moodily silent as he moved one of the cabinets across the floor to make room from the bed, declining Jay's offers to help.

"I still don't understand what possessed you to do such a stupid thing Jay." He muttered after a few minutes of steely silence, not looking at his sister as he began to put the sheets on the bed.

"I was tired of being alone." Jay murmured back as she started to help him, ignoring the irritated glances she earned from her older brother.

"Then you should have joined a bloody book club!" Simon exclaimed angrily.  
"You know what I mean." Jay responded, her own voice raised slightly.

"And what about university? What do you expect to do about that?"  
"I'll go when I leave here. I wanted to get some world experience first." She told him casually, shoving her pillow into the case.

"_World experience?_" Simon blurted suddenly "You could have got world experience by teaching English in France like you wanted to do. Or Copenhagen. You've always wanted to go there, ever since you were four of five. Anywhere but a damned warzone!"

"Oh I get it; it's ok for you and Ollie to be here, but not little Jay. No, she's too young, fragile and female for this kind of work, let's leave her at home, spending countless nights wondering if her brother and boyfriend are even alive because neither of them return her phone calls anymore." Jay vociferated furiously, throwing the pillow back on the bed.

"What did Ollie say about all this?" Simon asked in a suddenly calm tone that contrasted so strongly with his former attitude that Jay was slightly taken aback for a second.

"He doesn't know I'm here. I haven't spoken to him for a few weeks." She replied quietly. "Look, Si," she continued with a small sigh "He's been stationed in Kandahar for a while now, and if he got hurt, this is where they would send him. He used to call me every week, without exception. I haven't heard from him for almost two months now. I had to know that he wasn't here."  
"So this is what this is about?" Simon replied, his hands on his hips, thinking that he had finally worked out Jay's motive for such a stupid decision.

"Don't give me that Simon," Jay barked "You know I would do exactly the same thing if it was you."

"Don't you think I would have called you if he was here?"

"Well I don't know Si, you're not exactly very forthcoming when it comes to talking about this place."

"There's a reason for that Jay, and you can't just up and drop everything to come here, on the off chance that I forgot to mention that your boyfriend was here just because he hasn't called you for a while, when he could just be, maybe, I don't know; _doing his job, and trying to stay alive."_

"Fiancé," Jay mumbled, looking down at her feet.

"What?" Simon blurted out, surprised by the sudden change of topic.

"Ollie asked me to marry him last time he was leave, and I said yes." She explained, holding up her left hand that now held a small ring on the fourth digit.

"And when were you going to tell me this?"

"Ollie wanted to wait until all three of us were together again. But you make that difficult when you make excuses every time Simon." Jay snapped back.

Simon took a deep breath to keep himself calm. The last thing he wanted to do was start yelling and balling, possibly attracting the attention of almost everyone in Afghanistan.

"Jay, listen to me; there are a lot of women out there who have loved ones in the army, but they can't all get jobs wherever the hell they feel like it just to be closer to then."

"Simon, I'm here to help, like I said, and don't you dare accuse me of using such a precious resource as a hospital out here as a ticket in. Ollie is not the only reason I'm here, and neither are you. If knowing that you both are safe is a bonus then so be it, but I won't have you stand there and make out like I only care about that. I want this war to be over as much as everyone else and I'm trying to do my share in making that happen, just like everyone else on this base!"

Jay could feel her voice and hands trembling with anger as she looked at her brother. She almost couldn't believe that Simon had had the audacity to make out like she was here for her own purposes. Yes, he and Ollie had been a deciding factor, but the decision to offer her services, as limited as they were, had been one she had been considering for a while.

Before she had time to do anything about it, Jay felt Simon's arms wrapping around her again, and she breathed him in. God, she had missed him.

"It's so good to see you." He whispered honestly, and they stood like that together for a few elongated minutes, savouring the feeling of togetherness again.


End file.
